Rotary printing press sheet feeding device



1955 o. A. FORS ROTARY PRINTING PRESS SHEET FEEDING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1952 FEE/:2

INVENTORI QSCAR A. FORS ATTORNEYS Aug. 30, 1955 o. A. FORS ROTARYPRINTING PRESS SHEET FEEDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 31, 1952INVENTOR: OSCAR A. FORS ATTORNEYS:

United States Patent ROTARY PRINTING PRESS SHEET FEEDIIN G DEVTCE OscarA. Furs, Chicago, Ill., :issignor to Steelograph, Inc.. a corporation ofIllinois Application January 31, 1952, Serial No. 269,293

Claims. (Cl. 271-53) This invention relates to a sheet feeder for aprinting press and more particularly to an intermittent sheet feederadapted to automatically feed paper sheets into a rotary press in propertimed relation.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a fully automaticintermittent sheet feeding device adapted to be driven in timed relationwith a press to advance each sheet to the printing cylinders in properalignment and position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fully automatic sheetfeeding device which will correctly position and feed each sheet intimed relation with a press without manual operation.

Another object is the provision of a sheet feeding device provided withan adjustable mechanism for registering the leading edge of every sheetin similar relation to the printing cylinders.

A further object is the provision of gripping mechanism for advancing asheet to the printing cylinders of the press in opposition to rearwardrotation of the feed wheels to initial position.

The invention is illustrated in an exemplary embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are broken diagrammatic side elevational views of a rotaryintaglio printing press with the sheet feeder of this invention thereinand illustrating sheets in dilferent positions in their travel throughthe feeding mechanism and press.

The drawings illustrate a broken portion of the frame in which issupported a plate cylinder 11 having a pair of printing plates 12secured to the surface of the cylinder. A pressure cylinder 13 ispositioned to press the paper sheets between its surface and theprinting plates 12, as is well known in intaglio printing processes. Asuitable driving mechanism is provided and is not here shown as suchdrives are conventional with rotary type presses.

Paper sheets S are delivered to the press upon the surface of a beltconveyor 14 from a stack of sheets (not shown) from which they areindividually fed by a suction feeder (not shown). These sheets S areengaged by the feed mechanism of this invention and properly aligned andadvanced toward the plate cylinder 11 and pressure cylinder 13.

The feed mechanism includes a feed roll mounted upon a shaft 21 andhaving a spur gear 22 at one end of the shaft 21. Spur gear 22, shaft 21and roll 20 are secured together to rotate in unison. An idler member,generally designated 23, is normally in contact with the feed roll 20.Herein the idler member has a small roll 24 mounted upon a bell crankarm 25 and is provided with a tension spring 26 biasing the roll 24toward the feed roll 20.

In operation the feed roll 20 and idler roll 24 are stationary when asheet S is fed from the conveyor 14 to the bite of these rolls. Thedriving mechanism for the feed roll is so constructed that the feed rolland idler are at rest so as to stop the forward movement of each sheetwhich comes in contact therewith and properly align the sheet.

The particular form of driving mechanism here shown includes a rack gear28 have arcuately arranged rack teeth 29 in mesh with the spur gear 22.The rack gear is pivotecl on a pin 30 which is secured in the frame 10of the press and is urged by spring 31 against a stop member 32. Thestop member is threaded for adjustment toward and away from the rack barto vary its throw. The rack gear is given oscillatory movement by meansof a wheel 33 upon which is eccentrically mounted a member 34 positionedto engage the surface 35 of the bar 28 and move it against the action oftension spring 31 to rotate the feed wheel forwardly and rearwardlythrough the rack and spur gear. The cam member contacts the rack barduring only a portion of each revolution of the wheel 33 so the bar isat rest between oscillations. A chain drive 36 is provided for drivingthe wheel 33 from the pressure cylinder 13 in timed relation therewith.

Other oscillating drives may be employed, as will readily be understood.A pivoted bar or arm may have a chain drive to shaft 21 or a rack andcam arrangement could be employed.

In Fig. l a sheet S is shown with its leading edge stoppedv at the bitebetween the feed roll 20 and idler roll 24. The member 34 on the wheel33 is about to be moved into contact with the rack gear since themovement is in the direction of the arrow'on the wheel 33. Upon movementof the rack gear to the right in Fig. l, the feed wheel 20 will advancethe sheet S toward the position shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2 the member 34 has been rotated to move the rack gear 28substantially to its limiting position to the right. The pressurecylinder 13 has a cut out portion 15 which permits the sheet to beadvanced past a gripping roll 41) which is mounted upon an arm 41 andurged by tension spring 42 upwardly through an opening 43 in a guidemember 44. When the sheet S has been fed forwardly a sufiicientdistance, the leading edge 16 of the cut out portion 15 in cylinder 13comes into gripping contact with the sheet S with cooperation of thegripping roll 40. The tension of spring 42 is considerably greater thanthat of spring 26 on the idler roll so that the sheet will be grippedand fed forwardly between the pressure cylinder 13 and gripping rollwhile the feed roll is reversely rotated back to the position of Fig. 1.Roll 20 merely slides on the surface of the paper in returning to itsinitial position to receive a subsequent sheet. By adjusting the stopmember 32, the distance a sheet is advanced by feed roll 20 may bevaried, as will readily be understood.

The sheet S, printed between the plate and pressure cylinders, clings tothe plate until a pickup mechanism 45 carries the sheet from the platecylinder to a delivery conveyor 45.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled inthe art.

I claim:

1. An intermittent sheet feeder for a rotary printing press having aplate cylinder and a pressure cylinder, comprising: a feed wheelprovided with a drive gear; a pivotally mounted segmental rack gear inmesh with said drive gear; driving mechanism for oscillating said rackgear in timed relation to the rotation of the pressure cylinder, saidmechanism providing forward rotation of the feed wheel for advancing asheet to the press and rearward rotation of the wheel to return it toinitial position; an idler member constantly yieldingly urged, intocontact with the feed wheel for aligning and then feeding sheetsforwardly to the press; and a gripping roll yieldingly urged intocontact with the pressure cylinder with a pressure exceeding thepressure between the feed wheel and idler member to receive and gripsheets fed thereto from said feed wheel.

2. An intermittent sheet feeder for a rotary printing press having aplate cylinder and a pressure cylinder, comprising: a feed roll providedwith a driven gear; an idler member constantly yieldingly urged intocontact with the feed roll with the contacting portions being positionedin the path of advancing sheets; a feed roll drive including a pivotedbar having a driving connection with said driven gear; driving mechanismfor oscillating said bar in timed relation to the rotation of thepressure cylinder; and a gripping roll yieldingly urged into contactwith the pressure cylinder with a pressure exceeding the pressurebetween the feed roll and idler member to grip and advance each eachsheet to the printing cylinders in opposition to rearward rotation ofthe feed wheel.

3. An intermittent sheet feeder for a rotary printing press having arotatable pressure cylinder, comprising: a feed wheel provided with adriven gear; a pivotally mounted bar having a driving connection withsaid driven gear; driving mechanism for oscillating said bar in timedrelation with each rotation of the pressure cylinder, said drivingmechanism including a rotatable member having a portion eccentricthereto for engaging said bar during a portion of each rotation of themember; an idler member constantly yieldingly urged into contact withthe feed roll to catch sheets at the area of contact; and a grippingroll yieldingly urged into contact with the pressure cylinder to gripsheets fed from the feed wheel with a pressure exceeding the pressurebetween the feed roll and idler member.

4. An intermittent sheet feeder for a rotary printing press having aplate cylinder and a pressure cylinder, comprising: a feed wheelprovided with a driven gear; an idler roll constantly yieldingly urgedinto contact with the feed wheel providing contacting surfaces in thepath of advancing sheets to be printed, said rolls being at rest whencontacted by each sheet to stop advance thereof and align the sheet; apivotally mounted segmental rack gear meshed with the feed wheel drivengear and spring biased in one direction to an initial position; drivingmechanism for oscillating said rack gear in timed relation to therotation of the pressure cylinder, said driving mechanism moving therack gear during only a part of each revolution of the pressure cylinderto provide sequentially forward and rearward rotation of the feed Wheel;and a gripping roll yieldingly urged against the pressure cylinder inthe path of sheets advanced from the feed wheel with a pressureexceeding the pressure between the feed wheel and idler roll to advancesheets to the printing cylinders while the feed roll is rearwardlyrotated by return of the rack gear to its initial position.

5. In combination, a rotary printing press having a plate cylinder and apressure cylinder for printing sheets; a conveyor for advancing onesheet at a time forwardly toward the press; a feed wheel; an oscillatingdrive mechanism for rotating said feed wheel forwardly and rearwardly intimed relation to the forward rotation of the pressure cylinder; anidler roll constantly yieldingly urged into contact with the feed wheelwith their bite in the path of advancing sheets, said oscillating drivemechanism rotating the feed wheel forwardly to advance a sheet to theprinting cylinders after the sheet has been aligned against the bite ofthe feed wheel and idler roll; and a gripping roll yieldingly urged intocontact with the pressure cylinder to grip and advance sheets to thebite of the plate cylinder and pressure cylinder in opposition torearwardly rotation of the feed wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS1,307,969 iarris June 24, 1919 2,228,094 Schoenhardt Jan. 7, 19412,246,568 Davidson June 24, 1941 2,268,045 Marchev Dec. 30, 19412,275,455 Neal Mar. 10, 1942 2,285,224 Nigra June 2, 1942 v til

